Ice-cream freezer



- June 24, 1930. w, A, HlLEs 1,766,172

ICE CREAM FREEZER Filed Jan. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l aawbg' 1 5; mm; W/M

June 24, 1930. w. A. HILES ICE CREAM FREEZER Filed Jan. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwtwnto v WMQ Wk Patented June 24, 1930 WILLIAM A. HIIES, OF.CLEVELAND, OHIO IcE-cEEAM EE'EEzEE -Application filed January 15, 1930. Serial No. 420,866.

This invention. relates to an ice cream freezer adapted for mounting in an iceless refrigerator, adjacent the cooling coils thereof by which the contents of the freezer may be sufliciently frozen to make ice cream, sherbets, etc. My freezer is power driven, preferably by means of an electric motor. I

One of. the objects of the invention is to provide such freezer and its driving motor in such form that the different parts may be readily assembled outside of the refrigerator and the whole device mounted as a unit'in a proper compartment of the refrigerator. Thus the material receptacle may be readily charged with the liquid to be frozen and the driving motor readily attaclied to the stirring device in the receptacle.

Another feature of the invention relates to provision for maintaining a substantially liquid tightclosure for the material receptacle so thatthe receptacle may be placed on its side. in the refrigerator without substantial leakage. I provide however, means whereby any leakage of such material which does takeplace, is prevented from passing to the driving motor; likewise any leakage of oil from the driving motor cannot pass to the receptacle. 1

Another feature of'the invention is the pro- 0 vision of a suitable automatic switch disconnecting the driving power when the mate rial has been solidified to-a predetermined degree. As .the driving motor is preferably an electricmotor, this automatic switch op- 5 erates to open the circuit to the motor.

The above mentioned features and others contributing to the efliciency of my device will be rendered more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings hereof.

' In the drawings, Fig.1 is a horizontal section through my frcezer,'in the position it 00- cupies in the refrigerator; Fig. 2-is a side ele- 5 vation partly sectional of the motor compartment detached; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 1, but with the driving clutch in position to open the switch controlling the motor circuit; Figs; 4 and 5 are cross sections on correspondingly numberedl is a front with the open, showin a diagram illustrating t in opening the switch.

s shown in Fig.

ines on Fig. 1; Fig. 6

elevation of an iceless refrigerator door to the freezingcompartment g my freezer in place; Fig. 7 1s he action of the clutch 1, 10 indicates a suitable cylindrical can adapted to contain the material to be frozen. To vide a suitable cup in the entrance end close this can, I pro- 20 which fits snugly withof the can; that is to say,

the cup has a cylindr'icaL wall 21 making a close sliding fit with the interior of'the can and a circular base 2 across the interior of the 2 adapted to extend can. A zone 23' of the cup, adjacent its outer end, is of larger diameter, su

bstantially aligning with the wallof the can 10, and thus, providin a shoulder 24 limiting the innermost position of the cup.

The base 22 of the cup and the base 11 of the can 10 have means for holding'the rotary stirrer. This stirrer is shown as consisting of a shaft 30 carrying a continuous helical blade 31 having suitable openings 32 through it. Near its lower upright) the shaft a conical projection end (when the freezer is 30 has an enlargement 35 with a central conical cavity which rests on 15 carried by the base 11 of the can. Near the other end the shaft 30 extends through a cent 25 on the cup base 22. has a suitable collar ral opening in a boss The shaft preferably 36 adapted to bear against the inner side of the cup base.

In charging the upright and material sired height; then the with its bottom on the freezer, the can is stood put into it to the destirrer is put in place bearing 15; then the cover is slid into the can with the opening in the boss 25passing over the projecting shaft 30, the end portion of the to allow ease of installation. end of the shaft is cut away transverse rib 88 by driven, as hereinafter e The motor is of any not specifically shown, in Fig. 7. This motor closed box having a 0 top plate 51', and a ba latter being tapered The extreme to. provide a which the shaft may be xplained.

suitable type, and is but is indicated at M is contained within a ylindrical wall 50, a. se plate 52. Beyond ide the clutch shown in Figs. 1, 2 and this base plate, the wall has a skirt 53 of reduced diameter, which may slide snugly within the wall 23 of the intermediate cup 20, the shoulder 54 abutting the end of the wall 23. When-in this position, the motor casing. the intermediate cup, and the material can are all locked together by suitable means; the means shown comprising two hooks which are hinged at 61 to a pair of #1111118 62 riveted to opposite sides of the can 10.

is not longitudinally movable. thereon, being shown retained in this condition by a set screw 7 3 engaging a groove 43 in the armature shaft. The collar 72 has a pair of proiecti-ng wings 7 5 adapted to'embrace the rib ",8 of the stirrer shaft. -A helical spring 7 6 :urrounds the shaft 41 and is compressed be tween the base plate. 52 of the casing and the slidable collar 70. The two collars have their roximate ends formed oncomplementary inclines 7 7 and'7 8, these inclined surfaces being normally maintained in contact as shown 1 in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the loaded freezer is first installed and the motor energized, by the connection of a suitableplug or by the turning on of a switch, not shown; the motor rotates and through the clutch turns the stirrer. The 7 spring 76 is of suflicient force to maintain the inclined faces 77, 78 in complementary contact until the contents of'the can becomes materiallysolidified. As solidification continues, the collar 71 is more and more cammed back by the incline 78, but still the driving continues until the contents of the can has reached the desired degree of solidity. Then. the resistance presented by such contents overcomes the spring 76, and the collar-'70. is

cammed back substantially the full distance I into the position shown in Fig. 8, and, as it I comes into this position, it operates a suitable switch to disconnect the power. 4

r The automatic switch is not specifically shown, but its operation is indicated in Fig. 7, where M-designatesthemotor and S the switch. The "switchcontacts are within the motor casing 50 and the movable contact is;

actuated -by a sliding pin 80 projecting through the base 52 of-the motor container. This pin is normally pressed outwardly by g and bears against the collar 70.- ;Whn the, collar has forced the pin inward to its extreme position, asshown in Fig. 3, the pin throws the switch to open the circuit to the motor, thereby stopping the operation. To hold the collar in this position, I may provide a suitable latch 81 pivoted on the exterior of the base 52 and pressed by a spring 83 toward the collar.

In using the freezer, after the material is put'into the can, the stirrer installed and the cover put into the can, the latch 83 is pulled back to release the collar and then the .motor casing is put into place and the parts locked together by the hooks 60 then the complete unit is placed in the refrigerator and the double conductor 45 leading from the motor out of the container 50 is suitably connected with electric terminals. It is convenient to have this double conductor terminate in a plug, indicated at 46, which may engage a suitable socket carried within the refrigerator. As soon as the plug is placed in the socket, the motor starts operating and continues to drive the stirrer until the material.

inthecan has so congealed that the sliding clutch member is cammed back to open the switch within the motor compartment, then the motor operation ceases! Thereafter, the disconnection of the plug 46 and the removal of the unit allows the removal of the motor casing and the cup cover, thus giving access to the frozen contents of the can.

I desire to call particular attention to the space between the food compartment and the motor compartment of my complete machine, this space being provided by the cup-like cover 201 This intermediate compartment not only forms a container for the clutch, but provides a draining space for any leakage of food material about the stirrer shaft 30, or oil about the motor driven shaft 41. In either case, such liquid passes to the interior of the cup 20, and if desired, may be drained through a suitable opening indicated at 29 and a wall 23. However, such leakage ordinarily would be of such small quantity that it may be left in the cup, and when the device is stood upright will stand on the base 22 but not rise above the boss 25.

' It will be noticed that the stirrer is not of the paddle form usual in ice cream freezers, but is formed of a continuous helical blade with openings through it. 'Such stirrer may rotate much faster than the ordinary paddle and operates to force material lengthwise of the can while allowing a portion of'such material to move back longltudinally through the openings, thus obtaining'a circulationof the material. I I claim;

1. An ice cream freezeradapted for mounting horizontally in an iceless refrigerator and comprlsing a-c osed horizontal compartment for themate'rial to be frozen, a motor com partment,l and a leakage compartment between them, a stlrrerin the material com-' ving through the latter,

, ing a' containing a motor and a .the latter base,

partment, and a coupling in the leakage compartment between the motor and stirrer.

2. In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a closed compartment for the material to e 'frozen, a stirrer in said compartment having a shaft extending beyond the comparta stirrer within the material compartment having one bearing on the base of said compartment and another in the closure extenda driving connection between the motor and the stirrer, and hooks adapted to connect the motor casing with the material'can and thereby hold the parts together. I

4. In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a can adapted for material to be frozen, a rotary stirrer within said can, a cup-like cover for the can adapted to seat within it, making a substantially liquid tight connection with the inner wall of the can and havbearing for the stirrer shaft, a casing I projecting shaft driven thereb means for holding a motor casing on the cup-like cover of the can, and a connection between the motor driven shaft and the stirrer shaft.

In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a can .adapted for material to a cup-like closure therefor adapted to seat within saidcan, a motor, a casing therefor adapted tos'eat against the end of the cuplike closure, a stirrer within the material compartment having one'bearing on the base of said compartment and another in the base of the cup-like closure and extending through and a coupling between the motor driven shaft and the stirrer shaft located in the intermediate space between their respective compartments.

6. The combination of a can having a base and a cylindrical wall, a cup-like closure adapted to seat within the open end of-the can and provide a partition across it, a casing for a motor having a skirt adapted to engage the wall of the cup-like closure, means for holding the three compartments together, 'a stirrer in-the material compartment, a motor in the motor compartment, ashaft driven by the motor and extending into the intermediate compartment, a shaft for driving the stirrer'and'extending into the intermediate compartment, and a coupling in the ina shaft extending of a motor,

be frozen, 1

termediate compartment connecting the two shafts.

7. In an ice cream freezer, of a compartment for the frozen,

material to be a stirrer in said compartment having beyond the compartment, a motor, a clutch connecting the motor and stirrer, and a spring tending to-maintain the clutch engaged whereby the clutch may lose its driving power when the congelation of the material provides anun rotation. of the stirrer.

. 8. In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a container for the material, a stirrer therein, a driving motor operating a shaft aligned with the stirrer shaft, a clutch connecting said two shaftsand comprisingtwo members, one rotatable but not longitudinally shiftable and the other longitudinally shiftable but not rotatable independently of its shaft, said members having mutually engageable faces, and a spring tending to maintain the faces in contact.

9. In an ice cream freezer, the combination a shaft driven thereby, a collar splined on the shaft having an inclined face, the collar freely rotatable and having a complementary inclined face, aspring pressing the splined collar against the rotatable collar, a compartment for the material to be the combination I due resistance to the 1 frozen, a stirrer in said compartment, and

means for joining the stirrer shaft with the freely rotatable collar.

In an ice cream'freezer, the combination of a receptacle for material to be frozen, a stirrer therein, a motor, pling between the motor and stirrer, and a switch for the motor operated by the separation of said coupling.

' In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a container for the material'to be frozen, a stirrer therein, a motor driving a shaft aligned with the stirrer shaft, a clutch connecting the motor with the stirrer and in cluding a driving collar adaptedv to be cammed backwardly when the stirrer presents undue resistance, and means whereby 'such backward camming of the collar stops mounting in an iceless refrigerator, the combination of a can adapted to contain material to be frozen, a stirrer in said can comprising a shaft with a continuous helical blade about it, there being openings through said helical blade'whereby the rotation of the shaft may cause the material to circulate longitudinally in the can, an electric motor for rotating said shaft and an electric switch ing said motor when the congelation of the material presents a maximum desired resist-.- ance to the rotation of the stirrer.

13. In an ice cream freezer, tion of aclosed compartment for the material to be frozen, astirrer in said compartment for disconnectthe combinahaving a shaft extending beyond the compartment, a closed compartment containing driving mechanism having a projecting driven shaft, there being a closed compartment 5 containing driving mechanism having a projecting driven shaft, there being an 1nter-, mediate compartment, a coupling between said driven shaft and stirrer shaft in the intermediate compartment, all three compartm ments being separable from each other.

14. In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a can adapted for material to be frozen, a cup-like closure therefor adapted to seat within said can, driving mechanism,

15 a casing therefor adapted to seat within the cup-like closure, a stirrer within the material compartment having a shaft extending into the cup-likeclosure, and a coupling between the driving mechanism and the stirrer 2o shaft located in the intermediate space between their respective compartments.

15. In an ice cream freezer, the combination of a can adapted for material to be frozen, a rotary stirrer within said can, a cup-like cover for the can' adapted to seat within it, and having a central shaft bearing, an electric motor, a projecting shaft driven thereby in alignment with said bearing, and a connection between the motor driven shaft so and the stirrer. 16. The combination with an iceless refrigerator having a horizontal compartment wit a door, an ice cream freezer adapted for v mounting horizontally in such compartment .35 and comprising a cylindrical can for the material to be frozen, an electric motor in its own casing, a central shaft driven by the motor, a stirrer in the material can and a coupling in a leakage compartment between 40 the motor and stirrer.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM A. HILES. 

